So, You Want to Adopt a Puppy?

Who wouldn’t want a bundle of fur running around their home?

But, the question is, are you ready?

For your aid and quick enjoyment, I have attached two BuzzFeed quizzes that could answer that question for you. The first is a quiz to see if you are ready to adopt a puppy and the second is if you and your significant other should get a puppy. Sharing a puppy with your S.O. can be an amazing start to building your family together or it can lead to a slobbery custody battle that nobody wants.

Now that you have finished your quizzes and decided that you are in fact ready to own a puppy I am going to tell you everything you need to know before adopting the little fur ball.

Obviously, or at least I hope this is obvious, the first thing you need to consider is can you afford it? According to the ASPCA, the annual cost of care for a small dog is $420, a medium dog $620 and a large dog $780. You should also consider additional costs like an emergency trip to the vet if your dog were to get injured or sick.

Before you bring the little fur baby home here are the top 10 things you need:

Puppy food – preferably the food your puppy has already been eating. A new food might upset their stomach so if you do want to switch foods do so gradually.

The first thing to remember when proofing your home is that puppies are like babies and they will get into EVERYTHING. Trust me, I know from experience. Here are some helpful tips for protecting your puppy from your home and your home from your puppy.

Tip 1: get down to their level. Getting on your hands and knees just like them will help you to find small objects that they could choke on, wires that could be chewed, or small places where they might get stuck.

Tip 2: You can buy sprays for the legs of your end tables and chairs that will prevent your puppy from using them as their new chew toy.

Tip 3: The use of dog gates will also help to prevent your puppy from getting into rooms that are simply not puppy proof-able (like your kid’s toy room).

When it comes to bringing the puppy home you want to make sure the care ride is smooth and as stress-free as possible for the little guy. So be aware of rough roads and bumps or pot holes and although the whole family might be really excited about the new addition it is best not to bring the whole family to pick him or her up. Also, you want to make sure you are bringing the puppy into a calm environment so for the first couple days keep the house as quiet as possible and don’t invite a lot of guests. Remember a puppy is like a baby. Plus, it’s your new puppy why wouldn’t you want the first few days to have him alone all to yourself?

Here are 8 final concerns to remember when bringing your new puppy home:

Spend extra time with your new puppy – why wouldn’t you want to do this anyway?

Supervise your puppy

Be alert for signs – if the puppy looks like they are about to pee take them outside.

Establish a routine – potty breaks are necessary immediately after eating and at night they’ll need to go every 3 hours, like I said puppies are like babies.

Don’t punish an accident – they won’t under why their nose is being pressed into a wet spot on the floor

Praise your puppy – they do understand a praise when they go to bathroom outside

Feed your puppy special formula – puppies, like babies, need nutrition so be sure to get them special puppy formula that is also easily digestible.

Always keep emergency contact info available – you’ll be glad you had this info handy when there is an emergency

After reading this you are ready for to bring your new baby… I mean… puppy home.

Potty training is a whole new territory so be sure to check out our Puppy Potty training post to get all the helpful tips you will need for an accident free home. Once you’re ready for training check out our puppy obedience training post. These posts can all be found in the Puppy Care category of the BarkBlog site.